Soft and Furry
by Mandi5
Summary: Sam gets a new pet! Please review.


Summary: Sam gets a new pet! Please review.  
  
No spoilers  
  
Rating: PG - minor language  
  
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. I have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author(s).  
  
*****  
Stargate SG-1 Soft And Furry.  
"Awww, isn't it cute?" Major Carter grinned as she peered into the nest. "C'mere and take a look at it."  
  
"What is it?" Colonel O'Neill asked. They'd been on P3X 912 for most of the day and so far hadn't come across anything worth talking about. He wanted to go home, but Daniel and Carter wanted to stay.  
  
"He's so sweet," Carter cooed.  
  
"Who's so sweet?" O'Neill peered into the hollowed tree trunk. He couldn't see anything.  
  
She stepped back, a big, soft, dopey grin on her face. That worried him. Carter going all goey-eyed always worried him. It meant trouble.  
  
"Look inside sir, but be careful. You don't want to frighten him."  
  
O'Neill looked again. She was imagining it. There was nothing - wait a minute! There was something! He looked again. Two big brown eyes, surrounded by brown and white fur looked up at him. He thought he heard a whimper.  
  
"What is it?" Daniel asked. "Lemme see."  
  
"It's a guinea pig, that's all." O'Neill stood up.  
  
"It's not a guinea pig," Carter insisted. "I know, because I had one when I was a kid."  
  
"And you probably killed it by reversing it's polarity!" O'Neill quipped.  
  
It was cute, he admitted to himself. He reached in to lift it out. He yelped and jumped back, reaching for his sidearm as he did so.  
  
Carter stopped him. "What's wrong sir?"  
  
"Awooo! That so hurt!" He examined his finger. It was bleeding and he could see two teeth marks. He glared in anger at the hole in the tree. There was no sign of the cute little critter now. "Little bastard bit me!"  
  
"Sir, you probably just frightened it." Carter held him back. "There's no need to shoot at it."  
  
"It bit me!"  
  
"I am sure it did not mean to bite you, O'Neill." Teal'c remarked.  
  
"But it bit me! Me!" O'Neill whined.  
  
He glared as Carter crouched down in front of the tree. She spoke in a soothing voice. "Hey there little fella. It's okay. No one's gonna hurt you."  
  
"Wanna bet?" O'Neill held his sore finger.  
  
"Big nasty Colonel O'Neill wouldn't hurt you," she told the little animal. "He's just a big wussy, dussy, pussy cat."  
  
Daniel grinned. "Yeah, a big wussy, dussy, pussy cat. That just about sums you up Jack. You big softie."  
  
"With a big gun," Jack reminded him.  
  
"Be careful Major Carter," Teal'c warned as Sam reached in to the tree trunk and gently pulled the small animal out. She made soft, cooing noises to it and held it close to her.  
  
"Awww, the poor widdle thing is shaking," she told SG-1.  
  
*I'd be shaking too, if she was holding me like that.* Jack managed somehow not to say it out loud, but it was close.  
  
He watched as Carter stroked it. "What is it? And how many teeth does it have?"  
  
"Dunno sir. But I think it's harmless. It's very frightened, and it seems to be hurt. There's dried blood on his fur."  
  
"Probably mine."  
  
"Sir, he does seem to be injured and I get the impression he understands me. If it's all right with you I'll take him back, we can treat him and then send him home again. I'll make sure he stays in quarantine."  
  
"I don't know," Jack was doubtful. Then those big brown eyes, and then Carter's big blue ones won him over. But he still had reservations.  
  
"I'll bet it's a triffid." He voiced his concern to Daniel as they headed back.  
  
"A triffid?" Daniel frowned. "Isn't that a plant?"  
  
Jack gave him a scathing look. He might have been one of the Ancients for a time but he sure didn't know his sci-fi.  
  
*****  
  
"He is so cute. What's he called?" General Hammond drawled.  
  
"Haven't named him yet, sir?" Jack informed him, thinking George might work. "But I bet Carter will come up with a nice soppy one."  
  
"Well, we can think up a name later. Just get him to the - er - infirmary and have the doctor check him over. And make sure he stays in quarantine!" Hammond tried to be stern, but failed. He made kissing noises at the trembling little creature as Carter scooped him up again and carried him out.  
  
"Better get a litter tray," Jack called after her. "And a muzzle!"  
  
He turned to General Hammond. "Sir, if it's okay with you, can I go to the infirmary too? I am wounded after all."  
  
Hammond glared at him. "You shouldn't have frightened it. Go on."  
  
*****  
  
Carter's lab. 11.45pm.  
  
Jack sauntered in, his finger wrapped in a bandage. Carter was busy typing up her notes. She ignored him. He checked his bandage but she still ignored him. Fine! Be like that! He walked over to the table behind her. The alien was in a cage. He watched it. It watched him.  
  
"Got a name for it yet?" He asked.  
  
She grinned. "Um - well - I sort of called him George."  
  
"After an uncle, right?"  
  
"Er, yeah." Her grin widened.  
  
"So, what is it?"  
  
"I don't know sir. But he is intelligent. He seems to respond to my voice, and he can do a few tricks already. Watch this."  
  
She walked over to the cage and held up her index finger and moved it across the front of the cage. The small animal followed her finger, back and forwards as she moved her hand.  
  
"I'm impressed," Jack said sarcastically. "Next thing you know he'll be promoted to general and he'll be in charge of the SGC!"  
  
Carter grinned. "No really sir. He is smart. I guess he's just tired now."  
  
Jack shook his head. He was tired too. It was time to call it a night. He headed for the door, but turned and looked once more at the creature and then at her.  
  
"Carter?"  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"Never give it water. And never, ever feed it after midnight." He wagged his bandaged finger in warning.  
  
"No sir, I won't." She laughed.  
  
*****  
  
The next morning.  
  
"Shit. Shit. Shit!" Carter cursed as she started in horror at the remains of her office. There were brown and white furry creatures everywhere! On her chair. On top of her computer. In her coffee mug! Everywhere. But the worst was the little piles of crap everywhere. On her chair, on her computer and in her coffee mug!  
  
"Oops," Daniel stared at the mess. "Maybe their food is too rich."  
  
"Daniel help me clean this up and get more cages, before Colonel O'Neill comes in. Please."  
  
"Too late." Daniel replied as Jack stood in the doorway.  
  
Jack picked his way through the creatures, and the crap. "Looks like little George is in fact Georgina." He remarked. "I told you not to feed him - her - after midnight."  
  
"I didn't sir. I don't know what happened."  
  
"Well, a mommy guinea pig meets and falls in love with a daddy guinea pig. Then they -"  
  
"Sir. Please." Those big blue eyes pleaded with him. But he'd had enough of big eyes lately - blue ones and brown ones.  
  
"Carter. You got yourself into this - er - mess, you can get yourself out of it. I am wounded after all." He held up his still-bandaged finger to remind her. "I was wounded on our last mission."  
  
He leaned against the doorway as Daniel and Sam began to scoop up the creatures, and put them wherever they could.  
  
"Told you they were triffids." He shook his head and walked out.  
  
Five minutes later he was back with a big plastic bag and a shovel. He began to help.  
  
"Thank you sir." Carter was meek.  
  
"Oh think nothing of it," he smiled maliciously. "We just need some air freshener and an unauthorised gate activation to P3X 912 and General Hammond will never know he became an uncle overnight."  
  
They elicited the help of Sgt Siler and a couple of SF's sworn to secrecy and had the pets safely back on their own planet before General Hammond arrived. Sam told him it had died during the night. "Probably from blood poisoning," she added, smiling sweetly at O'Neill.  
  
"You owe me Carter." Jack warned her as they left the general's office.  
  
"I know that sir. But for your information it was a tribble, not a triffid."  
  
"A what?"  
  
"A tribble. The small furry animals on Star Trek. Triffids were plants."  
  
"I know that! But triffids were carnivores too! See!" He held up his bandaged finger.  
  
The end.  
  
Mandi Sheridan March 2003.  
  
Disclaimer. Stargate SG-1 and characters belong to Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions and Gekko Productions. This fan fiction is for entertainment purposes only and no money will be made from it. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations and story are the property of the author(s). 


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